The Art of Pricing a Point to Point Line
While some people may enjoy a trip to the local shopping mall, shopping for telecommunication services like a Point to Point line has never been fun. If you happen to be looking for a dedicated voice line you may call the local phone company. Chances are you'll be passed around to three or four different people who can't handle your request for a Point to Point line. When you finally speak with someone who can answer your questions you'll go through a litany of questions that don't get to the point of your call which is, "How much do I have to pay".

Is a Point to Point Connection Better than DSL?
So are you looking for reliablity or price? Reliability becomes critical when customers or employees depend on your connection for immediate responses. If your customers use your connection to access your databases or your server or the internet then reliability of your connection is critical. If your employees depend on your connections because you host the e-mail server in house or host web servers, your connections is considered critical. A critical connection can be viewed much like a life line, without which your business would be negatively impacted. Your monthly savings of having a sub-par connections will not make up for the loss in productivity of your employees or loss of customers when your DSL connections gets bogged down or cut off. To reiterate, ciritcal connections should be supported with a Point to Point connection.

Point to Point Bandwidth is Getting Cheaper!
Another consideration in bargain shopping for Point to Point service is the fact that all Point to Point's are not created equal. Many providers are convinced (and rightly so) that customers are focused on price and are not concerned with quality of service. Many providers are now oversubscribing Point to Point service connections as though they were DSL connections. This means you may not get the bandwidth you thought you would get. Make sure when you look for that bargain price you also reveiw the SLA (Service Level Agreement) and make sure the contract protects you and guarantees you will get the bandwidth to which they committed. Remember, when bargain hunting for Point to Point service you'll most likely get what you pay for.

Point to Point Access to the Web
The Point to Point line rates is a digital transmission service that can be used for carrying voice and/or data. A Point to Point connection is sometimes referred to as a "dedicated service" as the service is delivered to and from the customer premise from the CO (Central Office) without combining it with other traffic. A Point to Point connections is established by providing a "loop" or wire from the users premesis to the CO where the service provider has equipment. Part of the cost of a Point to Point is the "loop charge" or the monthly rental fee for the wire that is rented from the local phone company. Once the connection reaches the CO it can access the carriers network and reach any destination.

Real-time Point to Point Price Software
GeoQuote is currently used by Point to Pointlinks.com and several other licensees. Typically an agent will contact you after you have received your instant quote. Don't panic! These agents are not there to pressure you. Use them and their expertise to further investigate the servicese and carriers you see on your quote. We recommend the use of agents in any search for service and we also recommend using a broker to sign up for your service. Many people believe they can "beat the system" by contacting a broker to get pricing and other information as quickly as possible and will then go straight to the carrier believing they can get better service. This "end-run" process is actually a good way to cut yourself out of some of the biggest advantages of having a broker. Brokers don't mark up the price of services. They offer the same price you would get if you did go direct to the company.

Point to Point Internet Connection Basics
With real-time information you'll be able to quickly analyze service plans in your area and determine what is right for you. The people at ShopForPoint to Point.com have created a system that equalizes the carriers and makes them easier to compare by laying them out side by side and showing the features of each service. Need more help? They also have agents that will assist you free of charge. These agents make their money when you sign with one of the many service providers so you don't have to worry about them pushing you into a contract that you don't want with a carrier that you don't want. Get your price, ask your questions and be certain when you make your choice.

DS3 Price Trends
Like most telecommunications services DS3 prices (commonly known at T3) have been falling for the last few years. This is due to several factors. Competition has been heating up since deregulation in 1996. The number of companies offering service has exploded. With more competition in the marketplace service providers have to reduce their prices to attract customer and keep them from going to competitors. Service providers are desperate to keep margins but even more desperate to keep adding customers. This competetive arena has created a buyers market for DS3 lines and pricing is as favorable as it has ever been!

Point to Point Internet Access for Dummies
Many of the desperate companies are putting together inferior products they claim are Point to Point products. Be leary of products with the funny titles like "burstable" and "reach". These products are oversubscribed much like a DSL product. This means the provider put's a singled Point to Point connnection in a CO (Central Office) and sells Point to Point connections to 3 or 4 customers hoping they don't all use the service at the same time. True Point to Point access means dedicated access to the internet and you always have access to 1.54Mbps.

Finding the Right Point to Point Provider
Remeber that the Point to Point provider you select will be your partner for quite some time so take caution in your decision. The worst part of being with a bad provider is the fact that it will affect your business. Dropped calls or an internet connection that goes down can be disastrous to a business. We found that the larger companies like AT&T and Sprint will release companies from long term contracts it if is shown that the voice or data Point to Point service was faulty on a regular basis, however the release from such a contract will not help recoup the damages of the lost calls and e-mails from the poor service. When shopping for a Point to Point provider we suggest using a broker and asking for referals from current customers to give you an indication of what you can expect.

Finding a Quality Point to Point Service Provider
While an agent can get you the information you're looking for without the pushy approach of a single carrier there is typically a delay between the time you have your conversation and the time you get your information. Agents and brokers can sometimes take several days to search the providers, send e-mails and get responses to your specific needs. The advantage, however, is that you don't have to do the searching you can go about you business and have someone else do this free of charge.

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